Hi Julie (from Another Julie aka Teapot1966) I'm on the NHS, but I've been having an interesting conversation with them all this morning. Just phoned to ask where I am on the list as so to speak and by which date was the latest that I could expect surgery, the answer : January.
I think it does depend which PCT you are with (so chichester is one of my local ones) and the doctors surgery (if they are able to buy the funding quicker) and various other things.
I was advised by the Pysch that I was down for surgery by 20 August so you can understand my disappointment and annoyance when that has happened, but if she has told me that, then surely, it has been written somewhere on my notes (!) Subsequent conversations with the secretaries at Chichester went something like, how the hell did the pysch have the authority to tell me this info when it was wrong and that because I'd had a gall bladder scan (which is an investigative proceedure nothing more)results of which they had hand delivered at my second appt with Dietician that i'd been placed on hold and finally put on list in July ? (what the heck was I doing in the meantime?) I've also been advised that there have been administrative error (whatever that means) on my case (!)
This morning I've telephoned PCT who approve funding and asked if they have had the funding by which date does that expire ? And also, how can I have been told the information but then its disregarded the next minute - what are they playing at.
I sound very ungrateful, I'm not, I'm just really really frustrated at being told one thing, getting myself mentally prepared and then being let down time in time out, and putting my life on hold because the appointments the have sent out have been at really short notice. You just can't live your life like that.
I don't understand in your case Julie, how on earth you can have been waiting that long. It seems ridiculous. Some people I know who had surgery didnt have the pysch assessment or the dietician, they just had one consultation and then surgery (again they waited over 15 months)
I think St Richards admin has something very very wrong with it and they really need to close the lists until they have cleared everyone off the waiting list and then re open. I know that lists have been or were temporarily closed but that isnt sufficient if they can't sort the problem with what's there currently.
I'm glad its not just me getting frustrated but if other hospitals can stick to appointment times then surely they can?
Of course, they could be taking on too much work, privately, tv work and too many other areas referring to St Richards. They seem to have spread themselves very very thinly and those waiting are suffering.
I'm going to stop moaning now I know others are waiting longer and apologise if I've upset anyone on here.
My point is though, that surely there has to be a time scale and proceedure that they are obliged to keep to and if they are being overwhelmed then its not fair on those already on the list if more people are being pushed past.
Close the lists, clear the lists and then get some proper admin in place. In addition, more bariatric places need to be available at other hospitals and in other PCT's so you havent got area health area converging on one because that is naturally going to cause total gridlock!
